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Plumber apprenticeships in South Carolina
South Carolina has 17 registered plumber apprenticeship programs: 0 union and 17 open shop.1 Apprentices are hired and paid while they learn.
Find a program near you
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17 programs
American Plumbing Association
North Charleston · Charleston County
American SpiralWeld Pipe
Columbia · Richland County
Anderson Plumbing and Industrial Inc
Hartsville · Darlington County
Beach Plumbing, LLC
Myrtle Beach · Horry County
Corley Plumbing Air Electric
Greenville · Greenville County
Cowart Plumbing Company
North Charleston · Charleston County
Dependable Service Plumbing and Air
Pawleys Island · Georgetown County
First Choice Plumbing Services, LLC
Conway · Horry County
Four Star Plumbing and Air Conditioning Services Inc.
Conway · Horry County
Hill Plumbing and Electric Company
Sumter · Sumter County
LimRic Plumbing, Heating, & Air
North Charleston · Charleston County
Love Plumbing Air & Electrical
West Columbia · Lexington County
Meetze Plumbing Co., INC
Irmo · Richland County
Precision Plumbing
Greer · Greenville County
Precision Plumbing, Inc.
Swansea · Lexington County
Stark Plumbing LLC
North Augusta · Aiken County
Top Choice Plumbing LLC
Charleston · Charleston County
No programs match. Clear the county or type filter, or try a nearby ZIP.
Union or open shop?
Union
Run by a joint committee run by the United Association (UA) local and union contractors. You apply to the committee, take an aptitude test and an interview, and wait on a ranked list. The committee sends you to its contractors.
Pay is a set share of the union journey-level rate and steps up on a schedule. Classes are nights or week-long blocks, usually paid for by the program.
Open shop
Run by PHCC, ABC or a single plumbing contractor. You usually get hired by a member contractor first, and the contractor enrolls you.
Your employer sets the pay and the raises. Classes are nights or weekends, and some programs charge tuition.
What do programs ask for?
Age
Usually 18. Some programs take applications at 17.
High school diploma or GED
Most programs ask for one. Bring a transcript.
Aptitude test or interview
Union programs give an aptitude test (math and reading) and an interview, then rank applicants. Open-shop programs usually start with a job offer.
Driver's license and drug screen
Many programs ask for both, since apprentices drive between job sites.
Applying this month
Get your papers together1 week
High school transcript or GED, a photo ID, and your birth certificate or proof of age. Programs that ask for algebra want the transcript that shows it.
- Time
- 1 week
Practice for the aptitude test2 to 4 weeks
Union programs test algebra and reading. A few evenings with a practice test helps your ranking.
- Time
- 2 to 4 weeks
Pick three programs and check their dates1 evening
Union programs take applications in set windows, some once a year. Open-shop programs and employer programs often take them year-round.
- Time
- 1 evening
Apply, then keep working
Apply to all three. While you wait, a helper or trainee job with a licensed contractor gives you hours and a reference.
Can't get in yet?
Pre-apprenticeship
Short programs, often free, that teach the basics and help with the application. Ask the programs above which ones they take graduates from.
Start on a crew
Licensed contractors hire helpers with no experience. Keep a log of your hours and employers; many programs and license boards count them. If you'd rather learn the basics first, 1 schools in South Carolina have plumber programs.
The license steps in South CarolinaHow do you get into a plumber apprenticeship in South Carolina?
Pick programs near you, check each one's website for its application dates, and apply to more than one. Union programs test and interview, then rank applicants; open-shop programs usually start once a member contractor hires you.
How much do plumber apprentices make in South Carolina?
Programs set their own scales, usually a share of journey-level pay that rises every year. For a floor, the lowest-paid tenth of all plumbers in South Carolina earned $18.11 an hour or less in May 2025.
Plumber pay in South CarolinaOther routes in South Carolina
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, South Carolina, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)